
Louise Marie Cooke
Directing
Biography
Louise is a writer, director and producer with a passion for stories featuring strong but complicated female characters that feature at the centre of the narrative, something she feels is lacking in mainstream cinema. Her films have screened across the world at International Film Festivals such as Frameline, Mix Festival Brasil and Brooklyn Girl Film Festival. Her last two shorts, Siren and First Bite have also been shown at the highly regarded London Short Film Festival and Underwire Festival which champions female cast and crew. Louise studied at the Northern Media School, graduating in 2009 with a Masters in Film Production & Screenwriting. She began working as a producer on independent short films and promos, producing the award winning Film London short Physical Education (dir. Rohan Green, 2010). The film was was mentored by Dreams of a Life and The Falling producer Cairo Cannon. During this time Louise established Dead Flower Productions to promote female talent in front and behind the camera. The following year she pitched to the North London Film Partnership and Film London a coming of age film with a twist. Louise continued to write strong complicated female characters and in November 2012 she began writing and crowdfunding her follow up film which became Siren. The film has since screened in the UK, USA, Canada, Portugal and Brazil at numerous festivals including the renowned Frameline: San Francisco LGBT Film Festival. Siren was accepted into the British Film Council’s Shorts Scheme and Louise was funded to attend the USA premier in San Francisco in May 2015.
Known For

Set in Berlin, 1933, We are Dancers is the story of real-life anti-Nazi drag artist Hansi Sturm and his circle of friends in the immediate aftermath of the Reichstag fire, an event that allowed Hitler to become absolute dictator of Germany. Confronted by a former lover, now a Nazi, Hansi must decide whether to abandon his club or stay and face the Fascists on his own terms.
We Are Dancers

A young woman’s mundane life is turned upside down when she meets a sensuous older Spanish woman, who is passing through the sleepy English coastal town she lives in.
Siren

Following a tragic accident, two damaged souls find each other in a dark, messed up situation.
Breathe

Lucy suspects that Cara has feelings for girls rather than boys and she is determined to get the truth out of her. Even at the risk of damaging their friendship.
Pillow Talk

Eve is a girl full of emotions trapped by the world around her, longing to break free. Then she meets Jake and her world begins to open up around her leading her down a seemingly dangerous path of self-discovery.
First Bite

A teenage Catholic school girl has been thinking ‘unnatural passions’ and feels she must confess. As she stumbles over her carefully prepared speech, choking on the words that do not ring true to her beliefs, she learns to own her desires.
Confessional

A very sociable person, Alice has used her many social media accounts as a visual scrapbook of her life – the highs and lows, the happiness and heartache. But what do these collected words and images really say about Alice and her real life.